


One Live! East Blue Saga!

by RukiaUniverse



Series: One Live! Collection [2]
Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!, One Piece
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2020-05-30 18:14:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19408690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RukiaUniverse/pseuds/RukiaUniverse
Summary: 20 years ago, there was a pirate by the name of Kira D. Tsubasa. Her crew, A-Rise, stumbled upon the island known as Laugh Tale, and found the One Piece. They say whoever finds the One Piece is crowned King of the Pirates. One day, Tsubasa turned herself into the Marines. Of course, being King of the Pirates, she was set to be executed.





	1. Romance Dawn

20 years ago, there was a pirate by the name of Kira D. Tsubasa. Her crew, A-Rise, stumbled upon the island known as Laugh Tale, and found the One Piece. They say whoever finds the One Piece is crowned King of the Pirates. One day, Tsubasa turned herself into the Marines. Of course, being King of the Pirates, she was set to be executed.

“My treasure? You’ll just have to find it! It’s name is the One Piece!” Tsubasa exclaimed, then meeting her demise. This started the greatest era, where pirates set out to find this treasure, in order to become Pirate King. What was this era called? The Great Pirate Era!

“Honoka, I want to be a pirate just like you! When we meet again, I’ll have a way better crew than yours!” The young Chika told her idol, who was about to depart.

“Oh really? Then hold on to this for me.” Honoka responded, taking off her trademark straw hat and putting it on Chika’s head. The straw hat meant a lot to Honoka, as she got it from the Pirate King herself. You could see this as a passing of the torch.  
Many years after this moment, Chika set off on her own journey. A journey to find the One Piece!

So far, on this journey, she came across her first crew mate as a captain. A bounty hunter by the name of Pirate Hunter Kanan. They were drifting in the sea, until Chika decided it was a great idea to get caught by a bird. On the way chasing after her, Kanan came across a group of pirates. They tried to rob and steal her boat, but were quickly beaten before they could.

“So how’d you guys end up soaking in the middle of the ocean?” Kanan asked them, having them row the boat to the nearest island.

“It was that woman!”

* * *

_“I don’t know who you are, but could you spare a little water, or maybe some bread? If it’s gold you want, you can have it. But please, help me.” The lady said to the pirates now on her ship._

_“Sure, we’ll help you. But let’s just take a peak in that treasure chest!” One of the pirates said, as they proceeded to try and open the chest._

_“Go ahead, take whatever you want, but please… some water?”_

_“Patience, little lady! First, we gotta see your treasure. After all, we’re saving your life!” One of the other pirates responded._

_“Take the whole ship, it’s yours!” The lady said, now sailing away on the pirate’s boat._

_“She’s leaving with our ship and our treasure!”_

_“Hey! The chest is empty!”_

_“Oh look, dark clouds. That means a storm is coming there way. Thanks for the boat!” The girl began leaving the area, as the storm began to destroy the ship._

_“She tricked us!”_

* * *

She was now running away from pirates in a town, with a map in her hands. She stopped once a cannon ball was fired, shooting something down from the sky.

“Who’s shooting cannonballs at me? Ouch! But at least I’m alive!” Chika stated, as the smoke cleared, revealing her as perfectly fine.

“Boss! You came to save me! I’ll just let you take care of those guys!” The girl exclaimed, using this as a perfect opportunity to run away.

“Hey, she’s getting away!” One of the pirates yelled.

“Forget the girl, we have the boss on our hands! She’s a bigger prize than that girl! Isn’t that right, boss?” Another one of the pirates asked, punching Chika, knocking the straw hat off of her head. The punch didn’t do much damage, though.

“Don’t touch the hat!” Chika countered this move by delivering another punch, leaving the pirate on the ground. She caught the hat and put it back on her head. After putting it back on, she dropped all of the pirates with no effort.

“Wow, pretty tough for a girl like me. You beat those idiots with your bare hands!” The girl said to Chika, now on the railing of a building next to her.

“Uh...Who are you?” Chika questioned her.

“The name is Riko. I specialize in robbing pirates. Want to join me?”

“Robbing pirates?”


	2. Two Stones With One Bird

“So you’re a musician _and_ a navigator? It’s like a dream come true!” Chika exclaimed, with Riko being surprised at her seemingly endless enthusiasm.

“I’m not exactly a navigator, I just study geography every once in awhile. That’s why I stole that map. I want to have a map of every place in the world.” She explained.

“You’ll fit perfectly on my crew. Just wait till you meet Kanan.” 

“You’re a pirate, and you only have 1 crew mate? How’d you even get this far?” Chika gave her a thumbs up.

“By luck!” Riko mentally face palmed.

“How’d I get rounded up with such an idiot? Well, I guess I’ll team up with her for now.” She thought.

“Nico is an infamous pirate. Apparently, some kids in the village made fun of her height, so she blew the village to smithereens. She also has some weird powers.” 

“If we clobber him fast, the village would be saved! Alright! Once Kanan gets here, we’ll go straight to fighting him!”

“We can’t just march right in there! We need a strategy!” Riko denied Chika’s idea.

“I just want to save the people here, wherever they are. So, the easiest solution would be fighting him head on!” Meanwhile, in town, Kanan had finally arrived.

“This is it, Master Kanan.” One of the pirates said to her, as she stepped onto solid ground. She took a quick look around.

“Looks like a ghost town. Where is everyone?” She asked the 3 pirates.

“Well, you see, we took over the town.” 

“Take me to your captain, or I cut every one of you down.” Kanan immediately replied.

“Yes ma’am!” She followed them through the town, keeping a close eye on them to make sure they didn’t pull any tricks.

“It’s like a demon is watching us.” One of the pirates told to the rest of them quietly, making sure she didn’t hear them.

“Yeah. Captain Nico could beat her easily, th-”

“Hey, Kanan! Short time no see!” Chika interrupted them, after spotting her crewmate while she was leaving the building.

“That’s now how the saying goes.” Riko commented on Chika’s unintentionally bad joke.

“Oh, hey Chika!” She was about to walk over to her captain, until the pirates noticed Riko.

“It’s that girl that took our treasure!” They shouted at the same time. Before they could make any moves, Kanan appeared in front of them, staring them down with a harder glare than before.

“You’re only here for directions, understood?” With intimidation alone, she stopped them from doing anything.

“...Yes ma’am.” They all said in unison, heading in the direction of where Nico’s base of operations was. Chika and Riko followed after Kanan.

“Are you sure she isn’t the captain?” Riko quietly questioned Chika, not wanting to get on the swordsman’s bad side either.

“No, she’s just super cool!”

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


“Ah, I see! You’re Kanan Matsuura, the Pirate Hunter. Are you here to capture me?” Presumably Nico asked Kanan. 

“I gave up on pirate hunting. But I’m willing to fight you.” She began drawing her swords, putting the one with the white hilt in her mouth.

“Get ‘er, Cap’n Nico! Cut ‘er to pieces!” The pirates under her cheered, as she took out the many knives she had and put them in between her fingers.

“Get ready to see your blood, Pirate Hunter!” With swift motion, Kanan striked Nico, and with just one of her hands, clashed with her. Kanan was easily overpowered by the knives, so she stepped back.

“I don’t see my blood anywhere.” 

“Their captain is really strong for a pirate in the East Blue...I wonder who they are?” Riko thought. Chika crossed her arms, confused about it too.

“I don’t think this battle can go on any further.” She said. Kanan sheathed her swords, turning around.

“Alright then, let’s go gu-” Before she could start walking away, she felt a sharp pain in her side.

“Kanan!” Chika exclaimed. Kanan grabbed the source of the pain and threw it behind her, to be able to see what it was.

“Knives?!” She shouted. The culprit was Nico, putting all of her knives back away, going to pick up the ones, now by her shoes.

“You really don’t know who I am, do you? I’m Super Idol Nico!” She yelled, to the group’s surprise. Kanan dropped to her knees.

“Hey, stabbing someone in the back is a dirty move! You got that, shorty?” Chika told her. Nico’s crew was shocked by such an insult.

“You idiot! That’s the one thing you don’t call he-”

“Short? I am not short! Besides, I had no choice but to hit her in the back because she turned around!” Nico sent another knife towards Chika. She caught the knife with her teeth and broke the blade.

“It’s what you get for playing dirty, shorty!” Nico retracted her hand.

“Fire the Nico ball!” On cue, some of her men went over to the cannon that was in front of them and set the string ablaze. 

“Stand back, guys! Gum-Gum…” Chika began inhaling air, slowly becoming a balloon. The cannon ball fired towards her, and she caught it with her attack.

“Balloon!” She exclaimed, bouncing it towards Nico. While the smoke was still in the area, she grabbed Riko and Kanan’s hand, disregarding the latter’s wound, and ran towards the center of the town. When they landed, Kanan clutched her side as hard as she could, coughing out some blood.

“The hell do you think you’re doing, grabbing me like that?” 

“We had to get out of there! Not my fault you got stabbed.”

“Better yet, how did you even do that?” Riko asked. Chika stretched her cheeks.

“I’m made out of rubber. See?” When the smoke cleared, it revealed Nico using some of her crew as shields, while standing next to another person, who was using a lion as a shield.

“Cabaji? What’re you doing to Richie?” Another person questioned the one next to Nico, while rising out of the rubble.

“Mohji, you’re still alive? I was using the kitty as a shield. Didn’t want to soil my raiment.” Cabaji responded, while dropping the lion in front of Mohji.

“Richie, are you okay?” He asked the lion, which began coughing. Once the lion saw Cabaji, he hid behind a still standing board.

“Why you…” Nico grabbed him by the neck and threw him towards Chika and her crew.

“Get out of my way!” Chika raised her leg.

“Outta _my_ way, fuzzy!” She countered, waiting until he got close enough to kick him in the face, knocking him in Riko’s direction. She jumped over him, and he landed in a wall.

“That’s Nico’s second mate, Cabaji the Acrobat!” Riko told Chika, as the man in question charged towards her on a unicycle. He pointed a rapier towards her.

“I’ll cut em’ to mince meat, cap’n!” He exclaimed, almost striking Chika. Kanan appeared in front of her, blocking the blade with one of her own.

“If you want a sword duel, fight me!” 

“Kanan Matsuura, as one swordsman to another, it would be an honor to cut you down.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, nico is buggy. what else would you expect of the number one idol?


	3. Chika vs Nico Part 1

“So you’re the big scary ‘pirate hunter.’ Well, this’ll teach you why not to mess with Cap’n Nico’s crew.” Cabaji said to Kanan, who was currently out of breath on the floor. During the previously one sided battle beforehand, Cabaji had kicked Kanan’s wound twice, making it hard for her to even move.

“Kanan’s hurt bad! How’s she supposed to win? You’re just going to stand there and watch your friend get killed?” Riko asked Chika, who was intently watching the fight. 

“Prepare to be well done!” Cabaji pointed his sword towards Kanan, and charged towards her, still on the unicycle. Before he could strike her down, Kanan got up and knocked him over with the hilt of one of her swords.

“How…?”

“Go get him, Kanan!” Chika cheered.

“You’re very annoying. I hope you enjoyed kicking me.” With one slash, she cut open the wound even more, breathing in a heavy amount of air to try and stifle the pain.

“She cut herself?!” He exclaimed, as Riko covered her mouth in shock.

“My goal is going to be the number one swordsman…” She told Cabaji, while putting the other sword in her mouth. 

“What are you talking about?”

“Is this enough of a handicap to you? It’s time I show you real swordplay.” 

  
  
  


* * *

_On another island in the East Blue_

  
  
  
  


“What brings you to Awashima?” A blonde haired girl who was reading a newspaper asked the black haired girl staring out the window.

“I thought I should stop by before I finish with my job.” 

“Baroque Works, was it? Shouldn’t you be visiting Ruby instead?” 

“You have no right to be meddling in my business, Mari. You don’t need to bring my sister in this either.” Mari smirked, lowering the newspaper.

“You’re right, you’re a guest. I’ll let you go, Dia. Or do you go by Miss All Sunday?” 

“Where do you get this information from?” Dia asked, turning to glare at Mari.

“I have connections throughout all of the seas. I’ve got eyes everywhere.” She answered vaguely.

  
  


* * *

_Back in Orange Town_

  
  
  


The fight was almost over. It seemed Kanan had the upper hand now.

“Oni…” Kanan began, crossing her arms. She dashed past Cabaji.

“Giri!” She cut him down, blood coming out of the slash marks that Kanan made.

“How could these common thieves beat us? We’re the Nico Pirate Gang, the scourge of the seas! How could things go this far?” Cabaji dropped to the ground.

“We’re not common thieves. We’re pirates!” Kanan removed the first sword from her mouth, but dropped to the ground after.

“Chika, I’m going to sleep now.” Kanan said to her captain, who gave her a thumbs up.

“Go ahead and go to sleep. I’ll take care of things now!”

“You guys call yourselves pirates?” Nico angrily questioned them.

“That’s right! I’m gonna go to the Grand Line!” Chika answered.

“What’s a bunch of no named pirates got to do in the Grand Line? Go sightseeing? You won’t even last a day!” 

“I’m gonna be King of the Pirates.” She boldly stated.

“Don’t be an idiot! If you’re King of Pirates, then what am I?! God of the Pirates? The world’s treasure will be mine, so forget it!”

“Okay, hurry up and attack me. I’m getting bored.” Nico took out her knives.

“You’ll soon regret your words, rubber girl! You remind me of _her,_ with your orange hair and the straw hat!”

“Orange hair…? You mean Honoka? I know Honoka!” Chika told Nico, surprised.

“You seem intrigued. Of course I know him! What’s it to you?”

“Where is she now?”

“So you want to know where she is? Well, I might know. Then again, I probably don’t.” Nico replied, putting a hand on her chin.

“That doesn’t make sense. What are you, an idiot?” Chika deadpanned.

“Watch your tongue! We’re mortal enemies, so you aren’t going to get any info from me without a fight!” Chika got into a fighting position, clutching her left arm. 

“I’m willing to beat it out of you!” Nico laughed.

“You’ll be dead before you could get a word out of me! Not even rubber can withstand a razor sharp blade!” Chika gulped.

“Well, maybe.” Nico prepared to spin the knifes now placed on her two index fingers.

“Nico’s Buzz Saw!” She somehow threw the knives, which were still spinning, towards Chika. “Let’s see you dodge these mid-air!” Nico sent the rest of the knives she had out.

“Not a problem!” She exclaimed, stretching her arm over to a nearby wooden post. She flew over there, just in time to dodge the dangerous projectiles.

“Not bad! This is getting interesting!” Chika began stretching her arm back.

“Sure is! Gum-Gum Pistol!” Chika shot her arm towards Nico, who just barely dodged it by moving to the side.

“Nice power you got there! But your outstretched arm makes a delicious target! I’ll just sever it!” Nico tried to cut Chika’s arm, but she gripped onto a window seal of a house behind Nico.

“Huh?” Nico looked on to see Chika bolting towards her.

“Gum-Gum…” Chika reeled back her fist.

“Nico’s Super Escape!” 

“Sickle!” Chika flew past Nico, who had dodged by predicting the attack, dashing to the right. She went into a building, it crashing down with her in it.

“You underestimated me, orange!” Nico laughed again. After a few seconds, Chika rose from the remains of the house, putting her straw hat back on.

“How am I supposed to hit you if you keep dodging?” Chika wondered, dusting herself off. Meanwhile, Riko had retreated to behind a house, looking at the fight from afar. 

“What a fight! It’s like I’m seeing things…” She said in shock. Nico put more knives in her hand, and sent them flying towards Chika.

“Nico’s Harpoon!” Chika ducked to dodge the knives before it could hit her in the face, bringing her head back up after they had flown into a building. “Pierce!” Nico threw another knife, which was as fast as a bullet, leaving a cut mark on Chika’s face as it flew past her. Chika got knocked over, falling back onto the already destroyed house. While getting back up, she looked down at her hat.

“Darn you!” She yelled towards Nico.

“What’s the matter? You dropped the orange on the floor?” Nico taunted her, as Chika got progressively angrier.

“That does it! You nicked my hat!”


	4. Chika vs Nico Part 2

“So?”

“This is my treasure! Nobody damages this hat!” Chika screamed at Nico. Onlooking from behind the building, Riko would be surprised by this sudden change.

“I thought nothing could phase her, but she looks pretty mad.” Riko thought. Nico made a mischievous smile.

“It’s that important to you?” She asked Chika, as she reached for more knives from her bag. Nico was so fast as if she teleported, now behind her.

“That’s right!” She threw a knife at her from behind. Chika noticed it just in time to dodge it. 

But this would be a grave mistake…

“Then you should take care of it better!” Nico shouted, as her knives pierced through Chika’s straw hat, knocking it out of her hand.

* * *

  
  


_“Do me a favor. Keep this hat safe for me?” Honoka asked her, putting the straw hat on her head._

_“This hat means a lot to me. Promise that you’ll give it back to me someday. When you’ve become a great pirate!”_

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


“You call this beat up old thing your treasure?” Nico laughed, mocking Chika. She picked it up from the ground, studying it. It sure looked like Honoka’s. Chika began dashing towards her.

“I promised I’d return that hat to Honoka!” Nico looked at the hat, dropping it down to the ground.

“This is Honoka’s hat? I knew it was familiar. Honoka and I were on the same crew a long time ago. But that’s in the past.” Nico spat on the straw hat, fueling Chika’s anger. Chika reeled back a fist.

“Honoka is a great pirate!” 

“Nico’s Super Escape!” Nico shouted, dashing to the right again, expecting the same out come as before.

...On Nico’s part.

“Don’t put yourself on the same level as her!” Instead of punching her, Chika kicked her square in the stomach. Nico was sent a bit back, landing back on the ground.

“Darn it. You ruined my hat!” Chika picked her hat back up, and walked over to Nico, who was yet to get over the attack.

“...And you spat on it!” Chika rubbed off the spit using Nico’s shirt.

“Hey! Stop it!” 

“It’s your own spit! Also, don’t _ever_ mention Honoka and yourself in the same light again!” Chika said to her, squatting down to stretch Nico’s face.

“I don’t know what your connection to Honoka is, but I’ll say whatever the hell I want!” Nico replied.

“Oh yeah?”

“Nico’s…” Before she could do anything, Chika slammed her hand on her face.

“Shut up!”

“Oh no! I got caught up watching the fight! I need to go find that treasure!” Riko left the scene, now in pursuit of the island’s riches. Chika got up off of Nico, but watched her intently as to make sure she didn’t run away.

“Never in my life has anyone made me as angry as Honoka did! If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn't have lost that treasure! I’ll never forgive her for that!”

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


_“Honoka! Get over here! It’s a treasure chest!” The younger Nico exclaimed, excited at finding the treasure. It wasn’t her first time robbing a pirate ship, but the chest was huge. Honoka came in running, looking over Nico’s shoulder as she opened it. Inside was a treasure map and a devil fruit. Honoka picked up the devil fruit, while Nico examined the map._

_“A-Rise’s treasure! Honoka, with this, we can find the One Piece right after them!” Nico told the younger Honoka._

_“Really? We could also sell this devil fruit for 100 thousand berries!” She responded excitedly. After recruiting Nozomi and Eli, they were finally now in the New World. They had definitely made a big name for themselves, with Honoka’s bounty now at 500 million. Pretty high from someone from the East Blue. A figure appeared in the doorway, holding a gun that had smoke coming out of the barrel._

_“Honoka, I killed the captain. When are we gonna go?” They asked her, blowing the smoke away. Nico and Honoka both turned to her._

_“You’re so ruthless, Maki.” They both said to Maki in unison._

_“I just want to leave!” A few hours later, the pirates were now having a party, with Nico starting it._

_“In the ship we raided, I found a treasure chest, with the map to the One Piece, and a devil fruit! Isn’t that awesome?” Nico asked everyone in the room._

_“It’s awesome sauce! We’re steps closer to me becoming King of the Pirates!” Honoka was the only person who responded._

_“Get on to the cheers already!” Maki complained._

_“Go get drunk somewhere else, tomato!” Nico countered, getting in her face._

_“What are you talking about? This is supposed to be a party!”_

_“This fruit can sell for 100 thousand berries, so, there’s only one way for no one else to get their hands on it.” Nico said, stepping back to pick it up._

_“By selling it?” Honoka questioned her._

_“By selling it!” Nico agreed, laughing. Once the party was over, Honoka took the map out on deck to look at it._

_“Finally, the One Piece!” She held it up to the moon. Nico walked up behind her, gaining the captain’s attention._

_“I know, right! Are you ready to find it?” Honoka nodded to Nico, and looked back at the map._

_“Of course! Just wai-” She began, before a bird swooped down and snatched it out of her hands._

_“Ah.” They both watched as the bird flew away with the map._

_“Honoka! You should’ve held tighter on that map!” Nico exclaimed, grabbing Honoka’s shoulders and shaking her._

_“Sorry!”_

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


“Without that map, finding the One Piece is impossible! So, instead of getting the pirate king’s treasure, I’ll just have to get all of the other treasure!” Nico’s torso rose above the ground, now with more knives in her hands.

“Uh oh.” Chika stated.

“I don’t care how small of a fly you are, but no one touches my treasure!” Nico spotted Riko holding a large bag, and began dashing towards her.

“Huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> after this chapter, we will be derailing from just going straight off of One Piece's story. this will be an entirely new arc


	5. Departure

Nico tried to get her treasure back from Riko, but Chika managed to stop her in time. The treasure was scattered about, and Nico was angry enough for Chika to deliver her final blow. A double handed attack named Gum-Gum Bazooka.

“I win!” Chika proudly exclaimed, now that Nico was quite literally out of the picture.

“So you’ll join my crew now?” She asked Riko, who got the treasure back into the bag, and split it in two.

“For the time being. I’ll definitely make a fortune if I stick with you guys. Man, you gotta give Nico credit, she’s got an eye for treasure. This is easily 10 million berries.” Riko answered, appreciating the gold very much. Chika went over to where her hat was and picked it up, looking at the slash marks.

“...That hat means a lot to you, huh?” Chika put the hat on her head.

“Yeah. Not so bad, I guess. It felt good to clobber Nico for doing that!” She walked over to Kanan, who was still on the ground.

“Hey, Kanan. Wake up! It’s time to go!” Chika patted her on the back, and she slowly began opening her eyes. Kanan looked over to the destroyed building.

“Is it over already?”

“Yeah. Come on, we gotta set sail!” Kanan tried to get up, but she remembered that she still had the injury from before.

“I don’t think I can walk.” She stated.

“I’m not surprised that you can’t. If you could, I wouldn’t believe either of you weren’t human.” Riko sighed.

“Hey, don’t put me in the same group as her!” Chika countered.

“You’re probably the least human out of all of us!”

* * *

So, the crew now has a navigator. Riko the thief joins Chika’s crew, and with the ship Riko stole, the ships set sail together.

“You fixed my hat! Thanks!” Chika exclaimed, holding her treasured hat.

“It’s only temporary, maybe if we come across a carpenter it could be fixed for sure.” Riko responded. With her wound bandaged up, Kanan was asleep on Chika’s boat.

“It looks perfectly fi-” Chika began, before poking a hole in the top of the hat.

“You don’t listen!” Riko shouted, using the needle she used to fix it to poke Chika in the forehead.

“Ow! Why’d you do that?” Chika shouted back.

“Because that’s the only way I can hurt you! Now give it here!” Chika reluctantly gave Riko her hat again so she could fix it. Kanan was awoken by the yelling, opening one of her eyes.

“I’m trying to sleep here. Cut it out.” Kanan told Chika, who just sat back down as Riko fixed it.

“If you don’t mind me asking, Kanan, why is only one of your swords not a regular katana?” Riko questioned Kanan, wanting to know more about her story.

“An old acquaintance of mine gave it to me as a gift. They knew I wanted to become the number one swordsman, so they gave it to me before they left.” She explained, intriguing Riko.

“Number one swordsman? You know who you have to beat, right?”

“Of course I know. Every swordsman knows who she is. They were apart of that rival group to A-Rise, μ's. Now that I think about it, her and Nico were on the same crew.” Riko nodded.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it? Those pirate crews were as small as they could be, but they were one of the greatest crews ever.”

“I wonder…” Chika joined in on the conversation.

“What made them shine?” Riko finished fixing Chika’s hat.

“I don’t follow.”

“I mean, whenever I think about μ's, it’s like they’re shining or something. Honoka is the one who inspired me to be a pirate. Everytime I remember her, her presence is brighter than the last time.”

“Shining, huh? You’re saying they’re like the sun?” Kanan asked her. Chika shook her head.

“No, it’s something else. Ah, whatever! Maybe I’ll find it out later! Are you done with my hat?”

* * *

They sailed around for awhile, until Riko spotted an island. An island? Is it even an island? It’s an island, yes, but it’s floating around on some sort of platform. In the middle is a very large and spacious hotel. Our group of pirates have came across the sailing resort, Awashima Hotel.

“Hey, now that we have that treasure…” Chika looked over to Kanan.

“I can sleep in peace.” She responded.

“This is Awashima! 10 million berries is not enough to stay for even a day!” Riko explained to Chika, who barely knew anything.

“Well, Kanan, what should we do?” The captain left it up to her first mate as the boat arrived on shore. Kanan stood up to walk off of the boat.

“Play it cool. Maybe we could get a discount or something.” She responded, stretching as she stepped onto the sand.

“What wealthy establishment on the 7 seas would give pirates discounts?” Riko and Chika got onto the land after her.

“Yes.” Chika replied.

“Seriously, how have you made it this far?” A figure walked up to them, holding a red lollipop.

“What brings you here to Awashima?” They asked the pirates. Chika and Riko didn’t seem to know them, but Kanan seemed very familiar.

“Mari...?” Mari blinked for a few seconds, then suddenly realizing who she was. Mari ran over and hugged Kanan, surprising all 3 of them.

“Oh, Kanan! I haven’t seen you in years! Looks like you’ve gotten stronger, too!”

“Wait a minute, you’re supposed to be in the Grand Line! What’re you doing back in the East?” Kanan escaped from Mari’s grasp. Mari pointed the lollipop towards her.

“Awashima travels all of the seas. We just so happened to land here for a few months. Now, why don’t we bring this discussion inside? I bet you all are hungry.” On cue, Chika’s stomach growled.

“Very much so.”


	6. Fallen What?

Meanwhile, in one of the hotel rooms, a guest was in front of some sort of snail. The only light in the room was a candle, and the atmosphere was…

Demonic.

“Good evening, my little demons. Falling from grace is an act of rebellion from god. And of course, me, the fallen angel Yohane, has fallen from heaven itself.” ‘Yohane’ began, as her black wings expanded out from her back.

“I hope you shall join me as I descend further.” She smirked, and the candle blew out. The snail had made some noise, turning off whatever she was doing. Mari poked in through the almost closed door.

“Are you in fallen angel mode again?” She asked. ‘Yohane’ turned to face her.

“Fallen angel _mode_ , you say? The great Yohane is always he-” Mari kicked her in the face to knock her out, her dark wings turning into feathers and falling to the ground. Before she could fall herself, Mari grabbed her by the hand and began dragging her to the room that our group of pirates were in.

Kanan was already asleep in the corner, her swords up against the wall next to her. Chika had gotten a basket of mikans a few minutes ago, and she almost ate all of them by now.

“Man, mikan after a fight is the perfect combination.” Chika sighed, leaning back in her chair.

“You’re only gonna eat mikan when we’re in _the_ Awashima?” Riko questioned Chika’s sanity.

“The what?” Riko face palmed. Mari opened the door and dragged in ‘Yohane.’

“Sorry for the wait, I just had to bring something extra.” To wake her up faster, Mari effortlessly tossed her towards a wall. ‘Yohane’ thought she was flying, so she stopped herself with her shoes and faced the wall.

“Where did the visual transponder snail go…?” ‘Yohane’ asked, turning to see 3 different sets of eyes on her.

“Say hello to Yoshiko, a guest who stays here free of charge!” Mari introduced her excitedly.

“For free?” Riko didn’t believe her. Mari nodded.

“You guys can stay here for as long as you need to! Mainly because of Kanan.” She explained.

“We’ll need someone like you on our crew! Will you join us?” Chika questioned Mari.

“Woah, you guys are pirates?” Yoshiko asked her.

“Yup! And you can join too!” Yoshiko activated her fallen angel powers again, her black wings spreading out from her back.

“Of course I’ll join your pirate crew, if it means more little demons.” Mari stood up to knock her out again, sitting back down after she did it.

“Devil fruit users are so troublesome. Anyway, joining your crew could give me more opportunities. Though, I don’t know if I can just leave Awashima.” Kanan slowly woke up, yawning as she stretched.

“You wanted to travel the world, remember? Why not bust some heads on the way? You seem to still be a good fighter.” Mari looked over to Kanan, and noticed the sword that was on the floor next to her.

“Kanan, you kept the sword I gave you? How sweet!” She dodged the question.

“Chika, I’m going to get some fresh air.” Riko got up and walked out to leave.

“Okay! Have fun!” Chika replied.

“So, are you going to join our crew?” She asked Mari again.

“I’ll think about it. How about you guys just enjoy your stay for now?” Mari got out of her chair and left, leaving Yoshiko on the ground asleep. Chika stared at her empty basket of mikans.

“Sleep won’t get me this ti-” Chika fell asleep before she could finish her sentence. Fighting an opponent like Nico so early on as a pirate is tiring. But, Nico hadn’t trained in maybe a decade or two. She just didn’t need to if she was in the East Blue. Maybe she’ll train again. The rest of μ's were all around the world now. Maybe they’ll have to come back together again?

* * *

Kanan woke up in the middle of the night. She went outside to check on the ship, but stopped when she saw Riko sitting down while staring out into the ocean.

“The sea is beautiful, isn’t it?” Riko jumped.

“Oh, it’s just you. But yes, it is. One day, I want to write a song about the sound of the ocean.” Kanan sat down right next to her, placing her swords on the ground to the left of her.

“That’s a nice dream. I think if you come along with our crew, you could have a great time while looking for it.”

“Speaking of the crew, why did you join? Aren’t you the Pirate Hunter?” She questioned her.

“Yeah, about that. I got arrested by some marines, and Chika showed up a few days later. I told her if she could get my swords back I’d join her crew.”

“That makes sense.” From a far, a small vessel was traveling towards Awashima. There was a figure in the seat in the middle of the ship, who had a sword on their back shaped like a cross. The sail of the boat was shaped like one too.

“Stopping by here before I returned to the Grand Line should be fine.”

* * *

_On a random island_

“The snow is so deep here, I don’t even think I can see a building anywhere!” Nico exclaimed, walking around shamefully. She walked around the area, continuously going in a circle. Nico was simply bad at directions. She stopped dead in her tracks, feeling a gun pointed at her from behind.

“I thought I left the put my army in charge. Jeez, how did a monster get here?” A figure sighed, as Nico slowly turned around to see who it was.

“Maki! Man, what perfect timing! I need your he-” A bullet went past Nico’s face and hit the bush behind her, effectively stopping her rambling.

“Do I know you?”

“It’s me, Nico! You know, the number one pirate in the world?” Maki covered her face with her flintlock.

“You’re...smaller than I remember.” She laughed.

“I’m not short, but I need your help! Come on, you’ll help me, right?” Nico asked her. Maki put her weapon back in her pocket.

“If it means you not looking so ridiculous, I don’t mind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy birthday yoshiko


	7. 'Hawkeye' Eli

When the boat got close enough, Kanan immediately got on guard, grabbing her swords and taking out the katanas. When it was even closer, she moved in front of Riko.

“I can’t believe that _she_ came here. Of all places.” Kanan stated.

“That blade, is it…?” Riko began. Kanan looked back at her and nodded.

“It’s her. The world’s strongest swordsman, the last member of μ's, Hawkeye Eli.” The boat stopped on shore, but she didn’t move an inch. Kanan averted her gaze back to Eli.

“What business does a swordsman with three swords have with me?” She asked Kanan, not bothering to look at her in the eye.

“I went out to sea to find you.” 

“Why?”

“To be the greatest. Fight me!” 

“Are you seriously going to do this?” Riko was still behind her, as Eli stepped onto the sand.

“If I drop, bring me back into Awashima. Now, go hide somewhere!” Kanan commanded. Riko decided to go behind the ships they got there on and watch from there. Eli had her arms crossed.

“Pathetic. If you’re a competent swordsman, you would be able to tell that I easily surpass your tiny skills. Does the courage to point your blades at me come from confidence or ignorance?” Kanan put the final sword in her mouth.

“It comes from ambition.” Eli took out a tiny blade from her necklace.

“What’s that for?” 

“I’m not a fool. You don’t bring a cannon to hunt rabbits. You may have a reputation, but you’re still a bunny. In the 4 blues, the North, East, West, and the South, the weakest of all is the East.” She explained.

“Sorry, but this is the smallest knife I have.” Kanan’s eye twitched.

“You’re taking me as an idiot, huh…? You’ll eat those words when I kill you!” She began running towards Eli, crossing her arms to prepare for her signature attack.

“Oni Giri!” Using all 3 blades at once, she tried striking Eli. But, using the small blade, the attack was nothing against her. Kanan looked in shock from this.

“No one’s ever countered my Oni Giri before, but she did it with just a toy! There’s no way we’re this far apart!” Kanan thought, sweating hard. She brought her swords back, and continued trying to strike Eli. All of the slashes were blocked effortlessly by Eli’s small blade. Kanan got knocked back in the sand.

“The gap can’t be this huge!” She thought again, getting up to charge towards Eli again. The same outcome as last time repeated.

“Such heavy handed swordplay.” Eli commented, while blocking all of the blows.

“What drives you? You fight so hard when you can’t win. You’re a weakling.” She said, knocking her down to the ground again. Kanan easily recovered this time. She moved her arms behind her back, her swords pointing downwards.

“Tiger…” Kanan bolted towards Eli again.

“Hunt!” With her swords on either side of Eli, she was stopped by Eli’s blade piercing her in the stomach. 

“Kanan!” Riko cried out. With the blade still in her, Kanan didn’t move, as the blood dripped down into the sand.

“You want your guts cut out? Why won’t you retreat?”

“If I move, even a step, everything I’ve done up to this point will be shattered. All of my dreams will be gone forever.” Blood came out of her mouth, dripping over the white hilt of the swords.

“That’s defeat.”

“So I can’t retreat.”

“Even if it means death?” Kanan smirked.

“I prefer death.” Eli took out the blood stained knife, stepping back a bit.

“Tell me your name.” Kanan brought her swords up in front of her, preparing for her final attack.

“Kanan Matsuura.” Eli put her necklace back on, and brought out the sword that had been on her back.

“I’ll remember it. It’s been awhile since I’ve met a brave soul like yours. I’ll honor the swordsman’s code, and send you to your death with this black blade. The finest in the world.” Kanan braced herself for the final strike, as Eli charged towards her. Kanan began spinning her the blades in her hand, as they made a circular motion around her. Wind began gathering from it.

“Three Sword Style: Secret Move!” She shouted, the wind slightly surprising Eli.

“Three Thousand Worlds!” Kanan appeared behind Eli. The katana’s in her hand broke, and she dropped the hilts to the ground. Eli turned around to deliver the final blow, as Kanan put the sheath back onto the blade that was in her mouth. She stood back up straight and turned to face Eli, who stopped in her tracks.

“What…?” Kanan smiled.

“Wounds on the back are a swordsman’s shame.” Eli had a small smile herself.

“Magnificent.” Eli delivered the final strike, a large gash appearing on Kanan’s body, as blood came out of it. Her grip on the sword she loved so much gave up, as it came out of her hand when she dropped to the ground. When she dropped, a yell could be heard from nearby, as an arm stretched all the way to grip onto Eli’s boat.

“Darn you, darn you!” Chika exclaimed, retracting her arm as soon as her sandals touched the sand.

“You must be the young swordsman’s crewmate. Don’t worry, I left her alive.” Eli explained to her, as Riko went to try and wake Kanan up.

“Come on Kanan, you can do this! Wake up!” Riko pleaded, trying to shake her awake.

“My name is Eli Ayase. It’s too soon for you to die. Discover yourself, see the world, and grow strong, Kanan! However long it takes, I shall await you at the top. Strive with your whole heart and mind to best this blade, brave one! Strive to surpass me, Kanan Matsuura!” Eli said to Kanan, as Riko doused her with water. Eli turned back to her boat, glancing at Chika.

“And what about you? What’s your goal?” 

“To become king of the pirates!” She proudly claimed. Eli slightly smirked.

“That’s a hard path. Even harder than trying to surpass me.” Chika stuck her tongue out at her.

“I don’t care, that’s what I will be! Riko, is Kanan okay?” Chika asked Riko, who shook her head.

“Definitely not okay, but she’s alive. Just unconscious.” Kanan raised her sword into the air. Eli turned back to look at her.

“Ch-Chika, you can hear me right?” She choked out.

“Yeah, I can!”

“Were you worried? If I fail to become the world’s greatest swordsman...you would be disappointed, right?” Kanan began, before blood came out of her wound.

“Kanan, save your breath!” Riko shouted at her.

“Never again! I will never lose again!” She covered her forehead with her other hand, as tears came out of her eyes.

“From now to the day I beat him to become the number one swordsman…” Eli’s smirk grew. Kanan still held up her sword strong.

“I will never lose again! Got a problem with that...King of the Pirates?” Chika grinned.

“Not at all!” She chuckled. Eli walked back to her ship.

“I hope to encounter you two again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the number one swordsman is eli. not surprising


	8. To Loguetown

“I can’t believe after all of these years, you’re still as reckless as ever.” Mari sighed, as Yoshiko was using a small portion of her devil fruit power on Kanan’s wounds. Although the majority of her wounds were healed, the last strike from Eli however would be permanent. That one will take a longer time to completely recover.

“I am in no way reckless. It’s not my fault the greatest swordsman in the world decided to show up!” Kanan replied.

“And it’s not my fault you decided to fight her!” Mari countered. Riko angrily put her newspaper down.

“Calm down you two! I’m trying to read the newspaper!” A paper slipped out of the newspaper, so Chika bent down to pick it up.

“Good news guys, I have a really cool bounty now!”

“A bounty? Really?” Almost all of them shouted in response, with Kanan unable to move so much.

“It’s 5 something.” Chika muttered, unable to read the wanted poster due to her hands covering it. Riko snatched it out of Chika’s hands so she could read it clearly.

“50 million? That’s way too high for someone in the East Blue!” She exclaimed, surprised.

“Probably because she defeated Nico. If it was anyone else, it would be way lower.” Kanan responded. Chika began cheering in excitement.

“50 million! That’s how much our crew is worth! We have to celebrate soon!”

“Well, you can’t have a celebration without shiny! So, how about another crewmate, Captain Chika?” Mari questioned Chika, who gladly accepted. Chika’s crew now has 5 members!

But no name.

* * *

_On a certain island_

“Hey Eli! What brings you here?” A figure asked the greatest swordsman, who took out a wanted poster.

“A certain pirate you told me about from a village.” Eli said to her, which put a big excited smile on the figure.

“You must be talking about Chika! Let me see!” The figure motioned for Eli to come over to her so they could see it better. On the poster was a photo of Chika, which read:

_Dead or Alive_

_Straw Hat Chika_

_50,000,000_

“I knew they looked familiar when I saw her straw hat, Honoka.” Eli told the figure, now known as the great Honoka.

“Yup, that’s mine! Thanks Eli! I could’ve sworn you were gonna challenge me to a sword duel or something!” Eli put the wanted poster back in her pocket.

“No, no. I want to keep the title.”

“Since you’re already here, stay a bit longer! Let’s do some catching up!”

* * *

_Back on Awashima_

“Woah, this ship is ours?” Chika exclaimed, as Mari showed off the ship that she had made (or rather had others built). It wasn’t really extravagant, surprisingly. It was like a normal pirate vessel, but the figurehead was of a sheep. The sail had a skull and crossbones on it that had a straw hat.

“Of course! This is a precious ship, the Going Merry!” Mari responded, jumping off of it and landing gracefully in the sand. Chika extended her arms to the figurehead, and shot towards it. She sat down on it for a few seconds.

“It’s perfect.” The captain smiled.

"Alright then, let’s set sail!” Kanan stated, jumping on the boat also.

“But, there’s one thing missing.” Riko brought up to them, gaining the attention of everyone else.

“What is it?” Chika asked her.

“Our crew doesn’t have a name.”

“Good point! What about...the 5 mermaids!”

“No!” Bringing up the name problem made Yoshiko remember something.

“That reminds me! Someone left a name in the sand a day or something ago, but right when I saw it, it was washed away.”

“Then what was it?”

“If I recall correctly…” “...Aqours.” Yoshiko finished.

“Aqua, like the water? Alright then, perfect! The name of our pirate crew is Aqours!”

“Before we go to the Grand Line, there’s one place that we need to go to.” Kanan told Chika, who turned around to look at her.

“What’s that?”

“Loguetown. The Pirate King Tsubasa was born there, and executed there. They call it the town of the beginning and the end.”

* * *

_At Loguetown_

The Straw Hats stood in front of the town, amazed by the sheer size of it. Aside from Mari, no one on the crew had been to such a place before. “This place is huge!” Chika exclaimed. Yoshiko, who hadn’t activated Yohane yet, was just as surprised.

“So this is where the age of pirates began.” She said, mesmerized. Similar to Chika, Yoshiko idolized pirates. Or rather, the idea of piracy. A-Rise and μ's were legendary, their crew having unheard of bounties. Yoshiko just wanted to be free. Free of this curse she was bestowed with as a child.

“Okay, I’m going to go find the execution scaffold!”

“Let’s see if I can find some ingredients for my great Stewshine…” Mari said.

“I’ll go look for equipment.” Yoshiko added. Kanan looked at Riko.

“I want to get something too.”

“I’d be honored to give you some money…” She began. “...At 300% interest.”


	9. Sandai Kitetsu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you're reading this before 1/21/20, chapter 6 has had a small retcon, regarding the island Nico landed on.

In one fell swoop, before Kanan could even draw her sword, the girl that was about to be attacked by two pirates cut both of them down. Then, she tripped over herself, landing on the ground, with her glasses sliding away from her. The people in the crowd were cheering her on for defeating them. While she was looking for her glasses, Kanan squatted down and picked them up for her.

“Hey, looking for these?” She asked, handing them to her. She grabbed them.

“Sorry for troubling you. T-Thank you very much.” She answered. The way she talked was very familiar to Kanan.  
Meanwhile, in the center of the town, Chika finally found what she was looking for.

“There it is, the execution stand. Where the great pirate king was executed... The place where the greatest pirate in history was put to death…” She began, looking up to it. “...and the place where the pirate age began.”

Kanan was now walking through town looking for a sword shop.

“That was weird. That girl talked the same exact way that Dia did. She could even use a sword and everything!” Kanan sighed. “Well, I guess it’s a big world after all. At least I won’t run into her again.” Finally arriving, she walked into the store.

“I’d like to purchase a sword.”

* * *

_Near a giant shopping center_

“The great Yohane has declared you, the mortal who has been bestowed with my power, useless.” Yoshiko heard in her thoughts.

“Ugh, shut up! It’s not my fault that you can’t teach me anything!” She argued back. “I could’ve been a normal average teenage girl if it wasn’t for you!”

“...but I can not deny that your flesh vessel can handle even a fraction. May I suggest you get a weapon of sorts?” Yohane suggested. Yoshiko thought about the offer, thinking of the money she could’ve generated from those Fallen Angel Broadcasts she does. Or rather, Yohane does. It wasn’t really much. Mari has a butt load of money, but she didn’t want to ask, since she basically lived off of her most of her life. Riko had a lot, but why would she ask a thief for money? Wouldn’t that make her the thief?

Her eyes continued to wonder as she pondered, but stopped once she laid eyes on a shop.

“What about a gun?” She asked Yohane.

“I thought you already had one.”

“You mean that busted up slingshot I made 10 years ago? How would that even be practical in the Grand Line?”

“A weapon is a weapon, mortal. I would expect you to get the poor thing fixed. Unless you want me to take care of it myself.” Yoshiko sighed.

“Go ahead.”

* * *

_Back in the shop_

“You should definitely buy this sword! Sandai Kitetsu!” The girl from the streets earlier told Kanan. In short, the girl had came in while Kanan was there to retrieve her own sword. She explained to her that her sword, the Wado Ichimonji, is one of the 21 Great-Grade Swords, and couldn’t be bought for any less than a million beli, as the shopkeeper told Kanan he would give her 650,000 for it. They were looking in the barrel full of 50,000 beli swords, in which one of them was the one she took out. “Mister! Are you really selling this sword for only 50,000?”

“Y-Yes…” He told them, already sweating bullets. The girl with the glasses took out her sword book again.

“That’s amazing! This is another High-Grade Sword! It should normally be sold for a million beli. It’s predecessor, ‘Nidai Kitetsu’ is one of the Great-Grade Swords, while ‘Shodai Kitetsu’ is one of the Supreme-Grade Swords!” She explained to Kanan.

“No, I changed my mind! I can’t sell that sword!” The shop owner yelled at them.

“What? But why?!”

“It’s cursed, right?” Kanan asked him, already holding it out of its sheath.

“You knew…?” He asked her.

“No. I could tell.”

“It’s as you said. Beginning with the Shodai Kitetsu, the Kitetsu line of blades are renowned for their quality, but they’re also cursed swords! Many famous swordsmen of the past have suffered tragic deaths after carrying around the Kitetsu swords. That’s why you won’t find any swordsmen who’d dare to use a Kitetsu these days. Even if a person was unaware of the curse behind these swords, they’d still end up dead after wielding one.” He told them in bigger detail. The sword just gives off the aura of the numerous swordsmen being slain by the use of the sword. “I wish I could get rid of that damn sword, but I’m afraid of being cursed too…” The girl bowed to Kanan.

“F-Forgive me! I had no idea it was such a terrifying sword, and ended up saying something so foolish.” She said to her.

“Hmph! This is why amateurs like you shouldn’t act like they’re experts about swords!” Kanan held the cursed sword a bit higher, smirking at it.

“I like it! So much that I’ll take it!” She proudly stated.

“Y-You idiot, I said it’s not for sale! If I did sell it to you and you ended up dead, it’d be almost as if I were the one who killed you!” The shop owner shouted at Kanan. The shop owner’s wife hit him on the head.

“Don’t be stupid! Just sell the damn thing already!”

“But honey!”

“Then how about this? Why don’t we test what’s stronger? My luck…”

“...or its curse…?” Kanan threw the sword into the air, the Sandai Kitetsu spinning. “If I lose, then that just means I was never a swordsman who’d amount to anything special.” She held out her arm below it, closing her eyes. The sword spun dangerously fast.

“Stop! You’ll lose your arm! That sword’s sharpness is unparalleled!” He shouted at her, as the girl covered her mouth in shock. Seeming to be agonizingly slow, the sword passed just barely around Kanan’s arm, landing into the floor.

“I’ll take it!”


	10. The Great Return

In the search for food she could buy with her limitless money, Mari was strolling through the center of town. Looking around at the shops and the people, her eyes landed on a girl with red hair.

“Just look at that beautiful la-” She stopped herself, as the dots finally connected in her head. The gun, the hair, and those amethyst eyes. Mari was sure she stumbled upon Maki “Diamond Princess” Nishikino. She would’ve never expected someone as a high caliber as her, especially from μ's, in a town in the East Blue! Then again, this was the town where their rival’s, A-Rise, leader Tsubasa, was executed.

Mari brought herself together good enough to stop staring at her, and ran to an alleyway. “Well, if she’s here, then there’s probably something going on.” She thought, taking out the newspaper that Chika left behind in a dash. The only person who would’ve seen the first page was Riko, so there must’ve been a reason why she didn’t tell the rest of them about the event.

_Arlong Park Destroyed! Nico Back on the Move!_

“Arlong...Arlong...Oh, one of the seven warlords of the sea! Yeah, I wouldn’t doubt that Nico could single-handedly take them down. I’m pretty sure the Marines don’t want to mess with her.” Mari looked out from between the two buildings, and spotted another store.

* * *

While carrying a big bag of clothes, Riko looked up at the sky.

“Huh, the air feels different.” She said, heading back to the ship. “Seems like the air pressure’s dropping. At this rate, there’ll be a rainstorm coming. Darn, I wanted to look for a piano…” Riko thought, turning back to the store. “Excuse me, ma’am. Do you have any big vinyl bags?”

“Vinyl bags, but it’s not even raining.”

Meanwhile, at the execution scaffold…

“Oh! Woah!” Chika shouted, admiring the gaze from the top of the historical monument. “So this is what the Pirate King saw before she died!”

“Hey, you! Get down from there this instant!” A man with a megaphone shouted up to her.

“Why?”

“Because that’s a special execution stand that belongs to the world government! So get down from there immedi-” He was cut off by being punched in the face.

“Quit being so uptight with the rules, police officer. You must be Chika.” The perpetrator told her, taking out her flintlock.

“I don’t know any pretty ladies like you. Who are you?” Chika asked in confusion.

“Let’s just say a certain idiot you beat up made me come here with them to take you down. You know, we have met before. Back in the Numazu Kingdom.”

“...Just who are you?”

“...I’m shocked you don’t recognize me.” She was suddenly surrounded by police officers.

“This is the police! You there, stop! You’re hereby under arrest for harming a police officer! And for you on the execution stand, get down from there!” One of them exclaimed. She rolled her eyes.

“You seriously think you can arrest me?” She questioned them.

“S-Sir, I’m pretty sure she’s a famous pirate!”

“Who cares if she’s famous! Arrest her!”

“Die!” A voice shouted, as a bomb exploded under a fountain. One of the broken pieces of it flew towards her. With one shot from her gun, it split perfectly in two, flying straight past her.

“What? The rubble was cut in half!” One of the people in the ever populating crowd yelled. Chika was in awe of what she did, gawking.

“W-What was that…?” A cloaked figure appeared from the smoke of the fountain, menacingly.

“Sorry, but with that accuracy of yours, you should definitely not be harmed…”

“...Maki!” They proclaimed, to more of a shock to Chika than the crowd.

“Uh...you mean the Diamond Princess herself? Wait, that means you know Honoka!” Chika said to Maki, who despite being here only cause Nico said so, smiled.

“I knew that the straw hat was familiar. Well, if you’re really worthy of it, then you certainly can’t lose to this bozo of a pirate and her pathetic crew.” She crossed her arms.

“Ever since that day you blasted me away, I swam all the way from the Grand Line to get my crew, while waiting for the day that I would defeat you.” The cloaked figures all took their disguises off. It revealed Nico, with the remnants of her crew.  
“Those sea kings drove me crazy in my adventure! It was an adventure of battling, near-death experiences, and friendships! The grandest adventure you could have in such a weak sea! After this princess here didn’t give me a boat…” She stopped herself from rambling. “Wait, why the hell am I telling you this?”

“So you really are Nico.” Chika stated, still not moving from her spot.

“Do you not know what a wanted poster is? Anyway, citizens! Make way for greatest idol in the galaxy! Don’t even try to run away, cause I need to demonstrate my terror!” Chika, still confused from the Maki situation, stared blankly. Suddenly, her face was shoved down to the cold floor of the scaffold.

“It’s been awhile, rubber brat. Is Kanan Matsuura doing fine as well?” A voice said from above her.

“Wha-What?!” Chika exclaimed, suddenly not able to move the top half of her body, as she was held down by a board of wood.

“Nicely done, Kabaji! Now then, your public execution shall begin! You should consider it an honor to die in the same spot that Tsubasa did!” She shouted up to her, laughing.

* * *

Closer to the town center, Mari and Yoshiko would be walking together. Mari held a huge object that was covered by a cloth, while Yoshiko was carrying a bag similar in size.

“Good thing our paths collide. Oh, and also, there was this weird looking guy riding a lion in town that I saw.” Mari told her freeloader.

“What even’s in here?” Yoshiko barked at her.

“Huh, it’s getting less crowded here.” Kanan mumbled, out of the shop with three swords now.

“The air pressure is dropping abnormally. I think I should get to the ship faster.” Riko said, still checking the sky. All of them walked from different places to the same spot.

“Ah.” They all said collectively.

“So where’s Chika?” Kanan asked.  
“She said she wanted to check out the execution stand.” Riko answered her.

“Isn’t the execution stand right here in the town square?” Yoshiko questioned.

In a building, Marines were gathered together, looking at the public spectacle from nearby. Two people walked in, one of them being the girl that Kanan met earlier.

“What’s the status?” The man with the cigars asked the Marines there.

“They’ve rounded up the civilians to watch. There are currently 3 people with bounties in the town square right now.” One of them with a gun began.

“The Diamond Princess, the Super Idol, and Straw Hat.” The other explained.

“Hm? Straw Hat? I’ve never heard that name before.”

“Her bounty just came out the other day, but it’s a real big one at 30 million.”

“50 million? She should be quite tough, then.” On the scaffold, Chika was trying to reach her face, but couldn’t with the restraints.

“Well, uh...she’s actually the one…”

“Damn it, I can’t scratch my nose.” She said, struggling very hard.

“...about to be killed right now.”

“Why the hell is she on the execution stand?!” Kanan shouted, with various expressions from the other 3.

“For the crime of stupidity, I hereby sentence you, Chika Takami, to a flashy execution!” Nico yelled, as her crew began shooting bullets into the air, with various cheers.

“This is the first time I’ve seen an execution.” Chika told Nico, who was now on the scaffold as well.

“You’re the one being executed!” She replied. Chika went from slightly confused to definitely in shock.

“What?! Are you kidding me?!”

“No, stop kidding around! Your flashy execution shall now be carried out for the whole public to see!”

Riko and Yoshiko began heading in the opposite direction. Dark clouds started to appear distantly.

“Why are you in such a rush? Shouldn’t we be trying to help Chika?” Yoshiko questioned her, both of them with enormous bags.

“You really think we would be any use back there?”

“We could back them up! Unless you, puny mortal, weren’t knowledgeable of it, I survived a fall from grace.” Yoshiko responded, Yohane joining in on the second sentence.

“Well, there’s something more important.”

“And that is?”

“There’s a storm coming to this island.” Riko told Yoshiko.

“What?!”

“The air pressure and temperature has been dropping for a while now. Not only that, I saw cumulus clouds heading from the east. That’s a definite sign of a storm! With all of that ruckus in town square, the marines are sure to show up. What would we do if our ship happened to run away?” Riko explained, to the younger girl, who increased her running speed, taking off.

“You’re right! Crap, that is more important!”

“H-Hey, wait!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im pretty sure this is the longest chapter i've written for this series so far


	11. Chika Dies

“Any last words? Might as well make use of this crowd.” Nico asked who she was about to execute. Chika stayed silent. “Oh well. Even if you have any last words, no one’s gonna care about what you have to s-”

“I’m the one…!” Chika suddenly shouted. “Who’s going to be Pirate King!” Nico raised her sword above her head.

“Is that all, you rubber brat?!” 

“Wait!” Two voices shouted, running through the crowd. Chika opened her eyes to see who it was.

“Mari! Kanan! Help me out here!” Nico laughed.

“So you’ve finally decided to show up, Kanan? Well, you’re too late!” Back in the building, the Marines were shocked about their arrival. Specifically…

“It’s Kanan Matsuura!” One of the soldiers exclaimed.

“Kanan Matsuura’s in this town?” Tashigi asked.

“What’s that bounty hunter doing here _now_ of all times?” Smoker questioned.

“...We’ve received reports that she’s on Chika Takami’s crew!” Another soldier with papers in their hand elaborated.

“What?!”

“No matter what, we’ve got to bring that execution stand down!” Kanan, with all 3 swords out, told Mari.

“I know!” She responded. Nico glanced at Mari for a second.

“...His daughter, huh? All the way in the East?” Tashigi looked at Kanan through binoculars, finally realizing her identity.

“It’s her…!” Tashigi’s eyes widened.

“Just take care of them already.” Maki told Nico’s underlings, who happily obliged, charging towards Kanan and Mari with weapons in hands. This proved to be useless against them.

“Move it!” Kanan yelled, cutting down anyone who came in her way. Mari kicked those who came towards her. The sword about to strike Chika shined.

“Haha! Just watch carefully from there! Witness the last moments of your captain!” Nico exclaimed.

“ _Shorty!_ Come down and fight me!” Mari shouted at her, dropping her opponents with waves of air coming from her kicks. “If I can just _kick down_ that execution stand…” Kanan slashed through the underlings.

“If I could just cut down that execution stand!” Smoker raised his hand to salute.

“Have all units prepare for battle.”

“Yessir!” The sword came down.

“Kanan! Mari!” Chika began, the two getting closer and closer.

“Yoshiko! Riko!” 

“Hey, come on already!” Yoshiko shouted at Riko, still ahead of her.

“But this is too heavy!” The sky darkened more, clouds looming ominously above.

“Sorry, but I think I’m dead.” She grinned, the sword closer to her head.

“Wha…”

“Don’t say that, Chika!” Smoker began sweating, eyes widening at the sight.

“She smiled.” The sword crackled, until a lightning strike came down on the execution stand, setting it on fire. Rain then came pouring down along with it, as Nico was also set on fire. Chika’s straw hat fell from where it was slowly, and landed on the wet pavement. A hand reached down to pick it up.

“Haha! Looks like I survived! Guess I’m lucky!” Chika laughed, placing the hat back on her head. Despite the rain, the rubble still smoked from the fire. Nico laid unconscious on the ground covered in ashes, but in otherwise good condition. Maki and the rest of Nico’s crew looked on in complete awe. “Thanks, weather!”

“...Kanan, have you ever _believed_ in God?” Mari asked her old friend, who sighed.

“Enough talking, we need to get out of this town. There’s definitely more trouble coming our way.” Marines came running towards them from one direction.

“Surround the town square! Corner all the pirates!” The three of them booked it out of there, in the direction of where they hoped the ship was.

“They’re here! Run for it!” Chika exclaimed. Still in the building from earlier, Smoker was still contemplating what he saw.

“Captain! Shouldn’t we…” Another marine spoke.

“Hey, have you ever seen a pirate who smiled at their execution?” He cut in.

“S-Smile?! I’m sure even the most wicked pirate would turn pale and cower at the moment of their death.”

“But that’s exactly what that Straw-Hat girl did! She smiled the same way that the pirate king did, 20 years ago in that same spot!” Wind started to blow through hard through the town. Smoker finally left the building, now outside. “Where’d they run off to?”

“They’re headed for the western harbor.” A marine answered.

“One of our squads should be there by now.”

“Well, the sudden rain rendered their gunpowder useless...so they headed back to the station to resupply…”

“So the harbor is completely clear?” Smoker gazed up at the blowing rain. “The winds are blowing west, so if they were to set sail, they’d catch the tailwind. Is this all purely coincidence…?!” He said. “It’s as if the heavens themselves want her to survive!” Chika, Kanan, and Mari were still running from the armed marines chasing them.

“On the pride of a Marine Headquarters Captain, I, Smoker the White Hunter, vow to not allow that girl to escape this island!”

A cloaked figure walked through the rain, in a street on the island.

* * *

_That which cannot be stopped:_

_Inherited will, a man’s dream, and the flow of time. As long as man continues to seek out the answer to freedom, these things shall never be stopped._

  * _Pirate King Tsubasa Kira_



* * *

“A pirate? That’s alright, too…” The figure stated, smirking. On another street, Smoker was riding his motorcycle, powered by smoke through the rain, trying to find Chika. Meanwhile, Yoshiko and Riko finally arrived at the Going Merry, only for Yoshiko to spot a previous enemy. It was Mohji and Richie. Yoshiko hadn’t met them before, though.

“Huh? Who’s that?” When spotting her, he slipped. She was initially surprised, but then she gave a thumbs up to Riko. “See! I finished him off!”

“The lion’s still there, you know!” To distract Richie, Yoshiko used her slingshot.

“Certain Kill: Fresh Egg Star!” Despite it missing, the distraction still worked, and they got closer to the ship. “Now’s our chance!”

Kanan kept a hand around her swords to keep them from potentially falling. While running, Chika had a hand on her straw hat, and pointed back towards the marines.

“These guys are super persistent. Should we just fight them and then continue running?” She asked.

“No, there’s probably more on their way. Remember, Riko told us to get back to the ship as _fast as possible_.” Mari answered, but her focus shifted to the woman standing in their path.

“Kanan Matsuura!” She shouted.

“Sgt. Major Tashigi!” The marines that were tailing the three yelled in gratefulness.

“To think that you were Kanan Matsuura, and a pirate at that, too! You were just toying with me all along!”

“You idiot! What did you do to that lady?” Mari questioned Kanan angrily. 

“I never thought she was a marine…”

“I shall take back that Wado Ichimonji!” Tashigi proclaimed.

“...You can try.” Kanan took out the Sandai Kitetsu to clash with Tashigi, and reached to take out the Wado with her other hand. “You two go on ahead.”

“Okay.” The two of them traded blows.

“That _brute_ dares to harm a lady?!” To stop Mari from going in, Chika grabbed her and dragged her along with her.

“Let’s go!” Back on the Going Merry, Riko and Yoshiko were waiting impatiently for their return, as the ship rocked back and forth.

“The waves are crashing higher and higher! They’re still not back yet?”

“I don’t see them at all. I hope they’re alright.” 

With a clang, a sword flew away from them on to the ground. Kanan had the Wado in the wall, right next to Tashigi’s head, as she looked at her in fear.

“Sorry, but this sword isn’t going to anyone. No matter what.” She stated, smirking. The Marines had stopped and looked in fear as well.

“S-Sgt. Major Tashigi Lost…! It can’t be!” One of them said. Kanan put her two swords back in their sheaths, beginning to walk off.

“I’ll be on my way, then.” Tashigi gritted her teeth.

“Why didn’t you cut me down?!” Kanan stopped to glance back at her in silence. “...Is it because I’m a woman?”

* * *

_“You know, my mom told me all about how her father was a phenomenal swordsman and scholar at the same time…” Dia began, then sighing. They were on the ship that her, Kanan, and Mari shared on their journey. “Sometimes I wish I was a guy like him.”_

_“Dia, you’re perfect the way you are now! You’re a better swordsman than I’ll ever be, and definitely smarter than me and Mari!” Kanan laughed the statement off, but it still hurt to say it. After all, Dia wasn’t even trying to become the greatest like she was, and she had already beat her in 2001 battles._

_All Dia was doing was trying to live up to the images of whoever her father was that her mom told her about, and her grandfather as well. While she was told by numerous of her mom’s friends that her father wasn’t exactly the smartest cookie in the bunch, their mastery of the blade wasn’t to be laughed at. They could cut through just about anything._

_And Kanan, well, she didn’t exactly have a reason like that to be a swordsman. Her initial reason was to impress Chika, which even that wasn’t hard on it’s own. But when she left her island, she heard stories about the Greatest Swordsman in the World. Such a title caught her eye, so she decided to chase after it. Eventually, she got lost, and ended up on some small crew with Mari and Dia._

* * *

“You dare go easy on me in a serious duel just because of your views? How shameful! Of course, I shouldn’t expect a pirate like you to understand how to fight their enemies. But know that I didn’t pick up this sword for fun!” The final line is what set it off for Kanan.

“I don’t have a single care in the world for what gender you are, but it’s your existence that gets on my nerves!”

“What?”

“You’re just like my friend who died a few years ago!” They clashed swords again. “Now you’re spouting the same things that she did! Quit copying her, you rip off!” Kanan exclaimed.

“That is the most childish thing I’ve ever heard in my life! I have no clue who this friend of yours even is! In fact, I should be the one who’s complaining here!” Tashigi countered. “Maybe she’s the one who copied me!”

“What did you say?!” Chika and Mari were still on their way. Chika spotted a figure in front of them.

“Someone’s up ahead!” She told Mari.

“Another one?” Smoker was off of his motorcycle.

“So you’ve come, Straw Hat Chika.” He said.

“Who’re you?” Chika shouted back.

“The name’s Smoker. I’m a captain of the Marine Headquarters, and I won’t allow you to set sail from here!” Suddenly, his arms turned to smoke, causing Chika to abruptly stop. She was engulfed by the smoke, which trapped her.

“W-What?!” Mari ran towards him.

“Why you...freak of nature!” When she jumped to kick him, his head burst into smoke, and the part not around her leg returned to normal.

“I don’t have time for runts. White Blow!” With one arm still surrounding Chika, he used the other to send Mari flying into the nearest wall.

“Mari! That’s it…” Chika reeled back her arm. “Gum-Gum Pistol!” Her fist shot right through him, and he disappeared along with the smoke. “...Huh?” A hand appeared on Chika’s straw hat.

“Are you really worth 30 million beli?” He returned completely into human form, his weight bringing the both of them down. They slammed into the ground, and he reached for his weapon on his back. “Looks like that luck of yours has come to an end.” 

Another hand grabbed the jitte.

“Or perhaps not…?” Smoker peered back, only to see the cloaked figure from before, his eyes widening. It seems he knows who they are. Chika was left in confusion.

“What? Who’s there?”

“The entire government is after your head, you know.” Smoker told the figure.

“The world awaits our answer…!”

“It’s a gust!” A gust of wind came through, blowing away the marines and Chika as well. Mari and Kanan came through, the latter picking up Chika off the ground.

“You’ve got to run for it, or we’ll be trapped on this island! A huge ass storm is coming!” The figure started to laugh.

“Go on then, if that’s your desire!” Smoker got up off the ground.

“Why did you let her escape, Dragon?” He demanded. 

“What reason do you have for preventing someone from setting sail?”


	12. Set Sail for the Grand Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After some previous trouble in Loguetown, Aqours has finally reached the Grand Line.

Regrouped with the crew she brought together in the East Blue, Nico had finally gotten back up from being electrocuted. 

“G-Grand Line?!” One of her crew members shouted. Nico grinned.

“Yes, this is the perfect time. I’ve still got some things to settle with that rubber brat, so we might as well go in.” She began. “It sure has been awhile.”

“When we get to the Grand Line, just make sure to drop me back off at the kingdom. I’m pretty sure _Ruby_ is worried sick about me.” Maki spoke up, the name in particular gaining her previous rival’s attention.

“That kid’s probably fine on her own! After all, she’s a…”

* * *

“How rude of you to say that in front of your crew of hooligans!”

“What?! It’s true!” Nico countered.

On Aqours’ end of things, they had finally escaped from Loguetown and were on their way. The rain was still pouring down hard.

“The ship feels like it’ll flip right over!” Chika yelled, holding onto her hat with one hand, while sitting on the railing.

“You see that light over there?” Riko asked them.

“You mean that lighthouse?” Kanan responded to her.

“It’s known as the ‘light of guidance.’ The entrance to the Grand Line is just up ahead of that light,” The navigator turned to her captain. “So what shall we do?” Yoshiko, meanwhile, was shaking in fear.

“D-Don’t you guys think that entering the Grand Line in the middle of this storm is a bit…” Mari placed down a barrel.

“We’ve reached the Grand Line, haven’t we? This calls for a _celebration_!” She interrupted. The hotel owner placed her foot on the barrel. “To find All Blue.” After getting down, Chika put her foot on it as well.

“To become the Pirate King!” The orange haired girl exclaimed proudly.

“To be the Greatest Swordsman.” Kanan smirked.

“To write a song about the ocean!” Riko proclaimed. After a bit of hesitation, Yoshiko joined in.

“...T-To become a brave warrior of the seas!” With a crunch, they all lifted their foot and brought it down, breaking the barrel. 

The legend of Aqours has just begun.

Now hanging upside down from the head of the Going Merry, Chika watched the lighthouse.

“Riko, this is bad! The light just went out!” She shouted. “That was our guiding light too! What do we do now?”

“Well, it _is_ only a lighthouse. It can go out from time to time. Besides, it’s for times like these you have a navigator. Don’t worry, I know the basic direction at least.” Riko reminded her, while looking down at a map. The captain flipped herself back up, but still hung from the ship.

“Wow, you’re amazing.”

“More importantly, can you please get off from there?”

“No, this is my spot! You can’t have it!”

“When did I say I wanted it?!” Riko sighed. “But, this is rather troubling. At this rate, it’ll be just like what the rumors say…!”

* * *

“The entrance to the Grand Line is a mountain.” The crew had gathered in the kitchen of the ship.

“A mountain?” Yoshiko questioned, confused.

“Exactly. I had a hard time believing it myself when I looked at the map, but look!” She pointed on the map where said mountain was. “The light of guidance was directly pointing at Reverse Mountain located right here on the Red Line.”

“Does that mean we have to crash through the mountain?” 

“No, there’s a waterway right here.”

“A waterway? That’s crazy.” The dark haired girl imagined what it looked like. “Even if that waterway is actually there, there’s no way a ship could climb up the mountain!” 

“That’s what the map says.”

“ _That’s right!_ Whatever Riko says could never be wrong!” Mari said.

“Isn’t that the map you stole from Nico? Is _that_ really dependable?” Kanan questioned. 

“Are we gonna climb up a mountain on a ship? That sounds so cool! It’s gotta be a magic mountain!” The captain added.

“Why do we have to enter directly through the entrance in the first place? Couldn’t we just head directly south and still enter?”

“No we can’t!” 

“That’s right, and there’s a perfectly good reason for that.” Riko answered.

“It’s way cooler to go in using the real entrance!” The red haired girl slightly hit Chika on the head.

“That’s not the reason!”

“Wait, guys! The storm suddenly stopped!” Yoshiko told them, looking out the kitchen’s window. Riko turned her head to look outside as well.

“That can’t be, the storm should have led us directly to the entrance…” Her eyes then widened in shock. “Oh no, we’ve entered the Calm Belt…!”

“Calm Belt?” 

“What’s that?”

“Look. Even though the storm is still happening over there, it’s perfectly calm here.” Kanan responded to Yoshiko and Chika.

“This is no time to be standing around! Go grab the oars and start rowing as fast as you can! We have to get back to the storm immediately!” Riko yelled at them.

“As you wish, Riko!” Mari instantly agreed to do so.

“What’re you getting so worked up about? You know this is a sail ship, not a rowboat, right?” Her captain asked, wondering why she was so freaked out about it.

“Why would a mortal want to go back into such a harsh spawn by Mother Nature?” The Fallen Angel Yohane questioned Riko.

“Just quit talking and do it!”

“But the weather’s so nice here…” Kanan brought up, standing next to her.

“Fine, I’ll give you your information! Right now, we’ve drifted south exactly as you suggested doing!” She elaborated.

“Oh, so we’re in the Grand Line now?” The swordsman looked around at the ocean.

“If it were that easy, anybody could just go to the Grand Line whenever they wanted!” The navigator calmed down some to begin a longer explanation. “Listen, the Grand Line is surrounded by two ocean belts. Those two windless belts are known as the calm belt, and are exactly where we’re stuck in right now.” Kanan began walking stairs to where the others were.

“Calm, huh? Sure seems that way with no wind and all. So? What’s your point?”

“The point is that…” The ship started shaking violently, startling the crew.

“Is this an earthquake?”

“But we’re out in the open seas!” Surprising them, the Going Merry had been picked up by a large sea animal. More animals like it had risen from the sea as well. All of their jaws dropped, in obvious fear. Yoshiko, however, fainted. Riko held onto the mast of the ship.

“This place is a den...for sea kings…” Some of the sea kings went back into the ocean. Chika, Mari, and Kanan got the oars out.

“A-Alright...as soon as this thing dives back down into the sea, start rowing your arms off, got it?” The latter commanded, the rest of them sweating bullets.

“Aye aye!” Surprising them yet again, the sea king sneezed, which sent the boat flying. They held onto the Going Merry with all they could.

“A giant frog is jumping this way! Don’t get thrown overboard!” A giant frog had jumped into the air, trying to eat the ship. The esteemed fallen angel, still knocked out, fell off of the boat.

“Yoshiko just fell!” While still holding onto the mast, Chika extended her other arm to grab her. The ship landed back onto the sea, everyone exhausted from the situation they were just put through.

“Thank god...we’re back in the storm now…” The rubber girl laid on the ship, her hand still holding Yoshiko.

“ _Now_ do you understand why we have to use the entrance?” 

“...Yeah...understood…” Kanan answered, sitting against the mast. Riko got up from the floor.

“I think I got it.” The blue haired girl glanced up from her arms.

“What?”

* * *

“We really _are_ going to climb up the mountain!”

“You still going on about that?”

“It must be due to the sea currents. If strong currents from each of the four seas were to all head towards that mountain…” Riko began to explain. “Then they would drive the water up the waterway. At the very top, the currents will join together and come out to the Grand Line! Since we’re already riding the currents, all we have to worry about is the steering.”

“Reverse Mountain is a winter island, so the currents that hit its edge will travel down to the bottom of the sea. So if we fail to enter the waterway, we’ll crash and get dragged down to the bottom of the sea. Got it?” Chika nodded, smiling.

“So basically, you’re saying that it’s a magic mountain, right?”

“I shouldn’t have expected you to understand…” Riko responded disappointingly. 

“Riko, _you’re amazing!_ ” Mari immediately told her.

“Never heard of a ship going up a mountain before.” Kanan said.

“I’ve heard a bit.”

“About the mountain?”

“No, but I’ve heard things about the Grand Line, while being on Awashima. Supposedly, half of the people die just trying to go in. You don’t remember what happened when we tried?” Mari reminded her. Kanan tried to think about it, but all she recalled was a burning ship.

“I don’t.”

“I see the magic mountain!” Chika called out, looking over the ship.

“What’s that big shadow? It’s huge!” Yoshiko exclaimed, finally awake. The mountain was indeed big, as it went even beyond the clouds.

“So that’s the Red Line? I can’t even see the top because of the clouds!”

“Get a good grip of the rudder so we don’t get dragged down under!” Chika yelled. Mari and Yoshiko went into the kitchen and grabbed onto the rudder.

“Just leave it to us!”

“Amazing.” Riko stated in awe. Kanan looked at it through binoculars. 

“I can’t believe it. The ocean is really going up a mountain…” The waterway went up the mountain, part of the entrance had some engraved wood built into the sides of it.

“We’re veering off course! Turn a little to the right!” Their captain commanded the two. They pushed as hard as they could.

“Turn the star-board!” The amount of pressure they put on the rudder snapped in half. The Going Merry was heading straight into one of the structures. 

“We’re gonna crash!” Chika ran so fast her straw hat flew off, her first-mate catching it.

“Gum Gum…” She jumped overboard, breathing in air and expanding. “Balloon!” The captain wedged herself in between the ship and the wood, bouncing the boat back on course.

“We’re saved!” Riko exclaimed in relief. Hat still in hand, Kanan extended her other over the railing.

“Chika! Grab on!” The orange haired girl extended her arm as fast as she could so she couldn’t fall in the water. When she knew she got the swordsman’s hand, Chika retracted, hitting the floor full force.

“We did it!” Everyone cheered, the ship flying again and landing back down. Climbing back on her favorite spot, Chika looked on in excitement.

“Whoa…”

“I can see the Grand Line up ahead!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah yes, the end of the East Blue saga. i will pick up on the Baroque Works saga as soon as I can!


End file.
